[br][br]Alice Marie "Babe" Swanger (82) our much loved, mom, mother-in-law, grandma, and great-grandma passed away Monday, June 8, 2015 at St. Joseph's Long Term Care facility in Chewelah, Washington after a courageous eight-year battle with cancer. Alice was born November 15, 1932 in Ione, Washington to Harry and Alice Ryder. Alice spent her childhood years in Ione, Washington graduating from Ione High School in 1950. At Washington State College (WSU) she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1955 and enjoyed a 31 year career as an RN in various hospitals and long term care facilities. Alice loved to play Bingo, pinochle, board games of all sorts, and would play poker all night with her son and his friends. She enjoyed traveling to her grandchildren's sporting events, musical performances and concerts, RV camping, and tending to her large vegetable garden. She was famous for her strawberry pretzel salad, Texas sheet cake, and apple pie sheet cake. Her children and grandchildren looked forward to her canned peaches every year. Alice was preceded in death by her father, Harry (1946); mother Alice (1992); brother, Stanley (1974); and daughter, Sharon Hanson (2014). She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Lloyd of Chewelah; daughter, Phyllis (Bass) of Blaine, Washington; and sons, Larry (Nancy) of Troy, Idaho, Kenneth (Tania) of Pullman, Washington; eleven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; eight step great-grandchildren; sister Phyllis "Fifi" Johnston of Ione, Washington; and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial services will be held in Ione, Washington at the Congregational Church on July 12, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. with a friends and family gathering to follow. A private burial service will be held at the Washington State Veteran's Memorial cemetery in Medical Lake, Washington at a later date. Memorials may be made in memory of Alice "Babe" Swanger to the American Cancer Society or the Ione Congregational Church, Ione Washington.